An array provides the (positional) values for the function parameters. The hash table also binds a value to the parameter with the same name as the key in the hash table.
In order to use an array or hash table for splatting, the corresponding value needs to be prefixed with an at-sign (@var) rather than the dollar sign ($var) when the function is called:
Demonstration
The following code snippet tries to demonstrate how splatting might be used in
PowerShell:
function splat {
param ($p1, $p2, $p3)
"`$p1 = $p1, `$p2 = $p2, `$p3 = $p3"
}
$hashTable = @{p3 = 'baz'; p1 = 'foo'; p2 = 'bar'}
#
# Invoke splat with a hash table, without splatting
#
splat $hashTable
#
# $p1 = System.Collections.Hashtable, $p2 = , $p3 =
#
# Invoke splat with a hash table, with splatting. Note the use of @ rather than $:
#
splat @hashTable
#
# $p1 = foo, $p2 = bar, $p3 = baz
$array = 7, 2, 5
#
# Invoke splat with an array, without splatting
#
splat $array
#
# $p1 = 7 2 5, $p2 = , $p3 =
#
# Invoke splat with an array, with splatting
#
splat @array
#
# $p1 = 7, $p2 = 2, $p3 = 5
#
# Use a splatting AND explicit defined parameter:
#
$ht2 = @{p2 = 'world'; p1 = 'hello'}
splat @ht2 -p3 'P3'
#
# $p1 = hello, $p2 = world, $p3 = P3